


Broken Apart

by PanPacificPines



Series: Ménage à Twins [4]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Multi, Wenpines, pinecest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-05-31 14:09:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6473176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PanPacificPines/pseuds/PanPacificPines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 1 of 3 of the finale to my Wenpines story.</p>
<p>Wendy has been living with the Pines twins for a few months now and has been enjoying the fruits of a very strange relationship. Though she still hasn't gotten better about talking about her feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Broken Apart

Dipper Pulled against the straps around either wrist. Every few moments he gasped down a mouthful of air in the few gaps when his mouth was uncovered enough to do so. The back of his head pressed into the long edge of his mattress and a mound of short red hair ground into his nose. Thighs clamp down around both sides of their face. They squeeze down even more whenever his tongue performs an especially good trick.

Wendy’s fingers tangled in his hair as she panted out his name, higher and louder until she was calling out each syllable in a love-drunk elation. She stood facing away from the bed with Dipper’s face between her legs, though she’d long since lost strength in them. Her bare butt rested on his chest when her knees buckled from his manipulations. She could feel his own body tense and relax as his sister worked in between his legs. Mabel held her twin’s knees up and pumped her hips, gliding her strap on deep inside of him. The vibrating, two ended toy drove Mabel on to thrust as much for her own pleasure as to fill her brother.

Her own pleasure spurred her on, grinding her body into his, locking them together. Mabel herself had ridden the wave of pleasure again and again, feeling it crashing through her body. She could see that Wendy’s body had just shuddered and quaked for the third time. She could definitely attest to her brother’s zeal down there. His belly tightened and his erection tensed and twitched. She could see him struggling against his restraints, practically begging for release. She reached down to grab hold of him and his body jerked upwards, perhaps shocked at the sudden sensation.

“Wendy dear, I think Dipper’s had enough. Wanna help me out with this?” The redhead tossed a leg over Dipper’s face before mounting him again, facing towards the bed where Mabel knelt between his pale legs.  
“Whaddaya say, Dip?” Wendy clenched her thighs and ground into his face. “Have you had enough?” She leaned over almost painfully slowly, savoring the anticipation building up in her lover. She raked her nails across his thighs, bringing more shudders from him. When a muffled “Mmhmm” escaped between her legs she took him inside of her mouth, running her tongue over his length. His hips rose from the bed to meet her. He swelled up slightly in her mouth as he strained to hold back, but after all she and Mabel had put him through his strength was gone, releasing with a groan and a shiver.

Dipper glanced down along his chest when, after the rockets and fireworks, Wendy’s weight shifted. When the pressure down below increased, and the bed shifted a bit under him he guessed that Mabel was leaning towards Wendy. What little he could tell from his view the two of them must have been kissing. Of course his sister hadn’t yet pulled out. She couldn’t have forgotten that it was still vibrating since she’d definitely be able to feel it. It had a piece for her too after all. So either she just felt like extending their little game or she really was just lost in the kiss with Wendy. He couldn’t blame her either. Their whole relationship was some kind of dream.

Though, he thought, it’s technically all pretty unofficial. Somehow all of those serious ‘sit down and define what this is’ conversations had never really happened. Though he’d had about twenty seven of those chats with Mabel over the course of being a couple and her answer was always the same, so it didn’t seem fair to drag Wendy into his insecurities too. The way he’s felt about her, still feels about her, would be unfair to expect in return anyway. At least they had, well, whatever it was they had and he counted himself lucky for that. Lucky enough to have both Wendy and Mabel pushing his limits with these ‘Ladies nights’ as they called them. Finally, after what felt like half a day (closer to two or three minutes in truth, but Dipper would be the first one to say it “felt longer”.) the toy clicked off and pulled free.

The weight on the bed shifted again and his wrists were freed from the straps that’d been binding him. Someone started cleaning him off with a wet rag, though by then the water felt like it was freezing when it first made contact with his skin. The bathroom door clicked closed, off in the corner of the room behind him, and a weight settled down next to him. It smelled like Mabel’s strawberry shampoo. It was a hell of a thing that even after all the sweat and hormones he could still make out that very Mabely smell. Maybe that’s just what she smelled like now. Could it be her aura? If he didn’t know for a fact he could test that theory if he wanted the thought would have felt too stupid to focus on. She draped an arm across his chest. It should have felt exhaustingly hot from all the body heat, but she was always somehow a couple degrees colder than him, and that was also very Mabel. Her other hand idly untangled and brushed through his hair, stroking his scalp gently.

“Hey Mabes.” Dipper released a long, satisfied breath out through his nose, his skin tingling a bit from the now very gentle touch of his twin.  
“Hey Dip.” Her voice was gentle and relaxed and when he turned to her they shared a smile that said everything. “Thank you for letting us take care of you tonight. I love you.” The pecks on his forehead and the tip of his nose were as gentle as her voice had been. “I love you, Dipper Pines.”  
“And I love you, Mabel Pines.”

 

 

After untying the nylon ‘love straps’ from Dipper’s wrists, before holding out her hand for Mabel to give over the harness; a flicker of confusion flashed across Mabel’s face as she unbuckled herself. Until Wendy hitched a thumb towards the bathroom. Dipper’s attentiveness made the last five or so minutes especially difficult to keep her cool. Mabel visibly suppressed a giggle at the little ‘I need to pee, and totally didn’t want to whiz on your brother’ shuffle Wendy performed.

Once she was done, Mabel’s toy was washed and drying on a towel on the counter. She dried her own hands and grabbed up one of the shirts on the floor between the bathroom and bedroom with her toes. It either belonged to Dipper or her considering the plaid pattern. She couldn’t know for sure just by looking at it. Wendy tossed it up and over her shoulder with a kick of the leg and threw it on. Judging by the smell it was Dipper’s. A smile crossed her lips when she gave the collar a smell, and the comforting, Dippery smell flooded her sinuses. It was somewhere between sweaty boy, smoke, and pine needles. Somehow the boy managed to smell just that little bit like his namesake.

As intimate as she’d been with both of them, Wendy reflected that the twins actually smelled alike, though Mabel was always more smooth and with a hint of strawberry. Her brother, meanwhile, tended to smell more of sweat, though never in a bad way. It was always just a little musky; a manlier scent than you might figure just looking at him with his clothes on. She always thought the idea of butterflies in your stomach was sorta dumb kissy-kissy stuff; but those two had a way of making her knees weak. And her stomach did get a little fluttery when they looked at her with those four deep brown eyes.

When those few feet that from the threshold of the tile floor to round the corner into the bedroom proper Wendy paused to watch them lay together on the bed.  
“I love you, Dipper Pines.”  
“And I love you, Mabel Pines.” They spent a moment just drinking each other in with those beautiful brown eyes before Mabel’s hands were caressing her brother’s features and their lips locked. Dipper’s lips were always just a bit chapped and rough, while Mabel’s were so soft and tasted slightly of cherry, even when Wendy swore she wasn’t wearing any lip gloss. Not that she could tell all that just by looking. She knew that from experience.

Those stupid butterflies musta been packin’ on the pounds though. The feeling in her belly dropped a bit and they felt more like moths. Those dumb fat ones that always seem to smack right into your head or your windshield, leaving that creepy dust behind. Those two were perfect. Perfect mirrors for each other too, she thought. They were somehow just slightly different variations on the same theme. They were definitely in it for the long haul. That was some serious destiny biz. The kind of thing old guys go to Egypt to dust off temple walls for. Though, not that she knew for sure, Wendy was pretty confident no one ever wrote about the pharoah’s red-headed fuckbuddy servant.

The thought wouldn’t have even occurred to her that way were it not for a little scare she’d had just a few weeks ago. She’d been living with the Pines twins for months since Mabel and her accidentally wrecked her old apartment. The sex was good, and it was plentiful as hell. She had to wonder, in all the years the twins had been together, did they ever have, well, accidents? Little slip ups that might bring another Pines twig around 9 months later? Somehow in just a few months she’d managed to nearly fuck that streak up. Though her period showed up, it took its sweet time. Maybe she and Mabel were doing that ‘syncing up’ thing that chicks supposedly did when they lived together. Who knows? But it still left a mark on her.

What if it hadn’t come? What exactly is the nature of their relationship? No one ever told her that fifty years from know they’d be farting around, making trouble for their grandkids. Would they even want…? She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Dipper’s collar and strode back over to the bed.  
“Hey dorks, there enough room for three here?” Wendy hopped up and landed butt first on the mattress on the side of Dipper not occupied by his sister and spooned the beta twin as their kiss broke. Mabel was a good sister, Wendy reflected. Dipper’s body could really over heat after sex, but he was feeling much cooler to the touch. The ladies night could get pretty intense for Dip, so she always made sure to take care of him afterwards. More of that ‘forever’ stuff. As soon as they were done playing their roles she always stroked his hair or held him and told him how much she loved him. It was sweet really.

Little insecurities nibbled at her, and knowing herself as she did, Wendy knew that the chances of her ever actually bringing any of them up was unlikely. She could try joking about something to see how the twins reacted to it. Though it could take days or even weeks to build up the courage to do that each time. Her other favored strategy was to try convincing herself not to question a good thing. Twining her legs together with the twins usually helped. Mabel was never shy about offering or returning affection. She still got the feeling that Dipper was at least a little intimidated by her, though that in its own way was reassuring. Before her emotional batteries could recharge, however, the world fell out from underneath them.

Or at least the part of the world made up by the old Queen sized bed frame in the twins’ bedroom. The mattress bowed in half and the trio found themselves in what she could really only picture as a ‘sex chalupa’. After disentangling their limbs and stepping up and out of the remains of the bed frame it was clear that the central support for the mattress had just buckled.  
“Well, shit.” Wendy rubbed the back of her neck, feeling very much like a contractor looking over bad plumbing. “coulda been from my butt hittin’ it a minute ago, or all the hot monkey lovin’ it’s seen in the past couple months. Either way she’s fucked.”  
“Damn.” Dipper joined her in examining the underside. “Maybe it’s not that b-okay, yeah it’s that bad. Yeah, the support beam is trashed and it took the side of the frame with it. I mean, it basically turns the bed into more of a picture frame than a bed frame if we remove all the broken parts.”  
“That’s silly.” Mabel chimed in, while massaging at what she knew would turn into a purple bruise on her butt, compliments of the collapse, and Dipper’s knee. “I mean, you know I appreciate the silly, but I don’t want to feel like I’m sitting in a crib. That is **not** my fetish, bro.”

“Hey, no problem. It was probably my butt that broke the thing anyway. You two can bunk down on my bed and I’ll take the couch.” Wendy gathered up pillows and blankets under each arm, though Mabel pouted at the suggestion.  
“That’s really nice of you, but you don’t want to sleep with us? –I mean, like, actually sleeping.”  
“Pff. Of course I do, but on my old twin size? It’s sturdy, but we’d have to sleep in a pile, and I don’t feel like sweating all night.” She kissed Mabel on the forehead and gave her a smile. “Relax, princess, if anybody wants to cop a feel, you know where I am.” Though, to Wendy’s surprise Mabel harrumphed, crossed her arms and turned her back to the redhead. When it was plain that she was as confused, and a little shocked as one might be in such a situation Dipper chimed in.  
“She’s declare- sorry, I mean she’s **decreed** that she’s a Duchess now instead of a princess.”  
“What?! When did she de- Mabel! When did you decide that?”  
“Huh? I coulda sworn you were there for that one. Just earlier tonight. I laughed, Dipper laughed, it was great. No?”  
“Well, I mean, I thought it was a cute nickname is all. Hey, no pouting, you. Off to bed.” With that, Wendy gave a firm slap to Mabel’s butt, ushering her out of the room. The bare skinned sound surprised Mabel as much as the impact, and deciding to play along this time, ran from the room. The suggestion of a pinched butt, or worse, saw Dipper scurrying out after her.

Wendy, pillow and blanket gathered up, strode to the living room to settle down on the old couch for the night. All told it was a little short for her and the texture of whatever material couches are made out of wasn’t the best. Though at the time none of them could argue with the price tag of ‘free’ she was starting to feel some regret there. She knew there’d be lines all over her legs and butt. Propping her heels and head up on the arm rests was less than ideal too. The minutes passed and she wasn’t any closer to sleep than when she started. The blanket was sacrificed to keep her skin off of the sofa and her pillow propped up her legs so her knees didn’t feel like they were bending the wrong way.

With a collection of the couch cushions at her disposal, and with a return to the bedroom to secure a comforter for, well, comfort, the sofa didn’t seem so bad afterwards. Her head rested more or less at the base of the arm rest and her body was able to finally relax. Until, that is, she glanced towards her own bedroom door. It was closed. Perhaps to help hold in heat, or just out of habit, but her bedroom door was shut, with her on the outside. No doubt the twins had been asleep for well over an hour. Maybe her tossing and turning kept them up. So of course she couldn’t blame them for wanting to erect a barrier between them and her.

She’d gotten used to cramming the three of them together on their decent sized bed. She thought about how warm and secure it always made her feel to be able to fit so comfortably with the Pines. Though when one or the other complained about it being cramped she forced herself to agree that maybe it wasn’t ideal. Even though for her it definitely was. The dark thoughts crept in even as she rolled onto her side, sealing the blankets over her face. Was she just forcing her way into their relationship? How long would it be until they had ‘the talk’ with her about finding her own place again?  
“God. I’ve got to be kidding myself.” Off came the blankets again. Despite having just covered back up she needed to feel the cool air against her face. Maybe then the stinging at the corners of her eyes would go away. “What am I even doing here? Couldn’t hold down a relationship when people actually wanted me, and now what? Just because I know their secret I butt in on their whole ‘true love’ jank? God, I’m a joke. Can’t even crawl into bed with mommy and daddy and tell them I had a bad dream.”

When she felt her voice take on a tremulous edge her inner thoughts became her sole narration.  
“I shouldn’t be sleeping in the same bed with them anyway. It’d be easier for them to deal with kicking me out if they get some time away. God, Corduroy; what is this? Some kind of extended sleepover? When am I going to wake up? Maybe… I dunno. Maybe if I leave before they ask me to it won’t be so bad? Hell, when they finally run away and have like twelve little pine saplings I could be a godmother for one of them. Hopefully they won’t just hate me for holding them back…”

 

“Wendy, are you okay?”  
“Yeah. Totally.”  
“Hey. Wendy, are you alright?”  
“Yeah. ‘m fine. I toldja.” At first she fought back against a gentle nudging with a swat at whatever was attacking her. Then it came again with a concerned edge to the tone of what she now recognized to be Mabel’s voice. Finally roused, Wendy rose quickly upright.  
“Oh! Hey princess, what’re you doing up?” The incorrect title drew a frown across Mabel’s lips. Or perhaps it was something else.

“Well, it’s morning, Blerbs. Your face is all red. I was worried.”  
“It’s-aw shit! Why didn’t my alarm go off!?” In a mild panic Wendy through the blankets off and frantically searched for her phone.  
“It did. It was still plugged in, in your room. It woke Dip and me up.”  
“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry. I just forgot it in there.”  
“Hey, hey, hey, it’s fine. Dipper had to get up early for work anyway. I figured I’d let you sleep in since it was your day off.” Wendy looked Mabel up and down. She was fully dressed and ready for the day. Her hair shone, brushed smooth aside from the barrettes that decorated it. There was a mug of coffee in her hands.

“You, uh, ready to head out?”  
“Yeah. I didn’t want to wake you. Sorry. Hey, your face.”  
“Wh-huh?”  
“It’s all red, Blerbs. Are you okay?”  
“Oh! …yeah, yeah, just, um, allergies. Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”  
“You sure?” Mabel questioned, while proffering the coffee mug. The tone of her voice and the way her eyebrows knit together showing her doubt.  
“Thanks, Mabes.” Wendy gazed down into the dark, creamy beverage. “Yeah. Just, like, pollen or whatever. I’m fine.”  
“You…know you can tell me anything, right?” Mabel’s voice sounded unsure and a bit afraid. Wendy mustered her will power and took the gamble of matching Mabel’s sad brown puppy eyes and she stitched on her best grin that just said she didn’t take anything seriously.  
“Of course, Bel! Yeah! I promise you that nothing’s wrong, okay? I just got couch face goin’ on. Hey, you look like you’re about to go to work. C’mon, you, scoot! I need to freshen up so I don’t look all ‘creature from the dank lagoon’ anymore.”

 

Mabel seemed satisfied with the answer, or at least placated. That is, until Wendy’s mouth opened up again, somewhat to her own surprise.  
“Hey, though…maybe I should, y’know, spend the night at my dad’s place. Until, like, we- until the bed is replaced. I’ll make sure it gets replaced.” She could practically feel Mabel’s heart dropping. Though it was probably just her own.  
“Are- are you sure, Wendy?”  
“Yeah.” She held the warm mug in her hands, entranced by the little swirls of cream still floating around in it. She stared until she heard the front door close, with Mabel on the other side of it. “….yeah….”


	2. Third Wheel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 3. Wendy has moved back into her old room at her Dad's place and has been there for a little while. She never officially declared that she was moving out of the place she shared with Dipper and Mabel. They've been left to make that conclusion on their own.

She missed plaid. Wendy ‘Flippin’ Blerble Corduroy never thought that thought would cross her mind, but right about now she had a powerful need for a tartan bedspread, bath towel, wallpaper, or even a freakin’ carpet. The inside of her dad’s house had become one of those kitschy restaurants with snowshoes and wagon wheels all over the walls. Tyler had been good for Dan in some ways, but his sense of taste was very ‘new age store that sells crystals’ meets ‘the side of Soos’ cousin’s van’. They even lined her room with the spillover collectable plates and dream catchers.

 

“Seven. Seven freakin’ dreamcatchers hanging from my flippin’ ceiling.” She rolled her head. “Eighteen, nineteen…twenty-two freakin’ hummel figurines.” She heaved a sigh. “It’s like he was born as a grandma.” She’d already shoved more hand embroidered and decorative brocade pillows off of her bed just to be able to lay down. Evidently Tyler’s overflow decorative crap invaded her old room just like every other room in the house.

 

Tyler and Wendy were never really the best of friends. He was always insanely nice and she was always, well, Wendy. “Wendy who inevitably screws up everything, no matter how good…Fuuuuuuck.” She snatched up one of the discarded pillows and jammed it over her face, screaming into it.

 

“Uhh…Knock, knock Wendy, darlin’ did, uh, didja want sum’ lunch?”

“…..Mmmmph.”

“Alrighty tighty, lefty loosey. We’re gonna git samwiches ‘n soda. …we gots haym… we gots turkey-”

“Mmm.”

“Okay, wit’ cheese, right?”

“Mmm.”

“Alright, darlin’. What kinda soda y’want?”

“Mmrng MM-mm?”

“Okay, Orange soda. I’ll bringit to ya, But if you need to talk…”

“Mmmnk ymm Mmm-mmmrr.”

“No problem, dear. I’ll be back in a jiff.”

 

She was lucky that their house was as big as it was. With Tyler being the mayor and all, her dad got all sorts of permits thrown his way to expand their place. Though, apparently it still wasn’t enough room for all of his knick-knacks. She’d shown back up on the doorstep of her family’s homestead a few days ago with a duffle bag full of dirty laundry, she needed to use their wash, and just sorta never left. Her dad was always overjoyed to see her and John, Jack, and Michael almost didn’t seem to notice she’d ever moved out. As soon as she was in through the door they were asking to borrow something or if she could help them get past a hard part in a game, or any of a dozen other things. It felt like they’d always expected her to come back home. Which, she supposed sounded right to her.

 

She definitely didn’t feel cut out to make it on her own right now. Feeling like a third wheel didn’t help either. While she was packing up the essentials she’d need to bring with her if she was going to ‘spend some time thinking about stuff’ she’d gotten a text from Dipper. Her guess was Mabel spilled the beans about her dipping out. He wanted to let her know that he and Mabel would be totally cool with sleeping in an ‘in ground bed’ for a while. It was sweet of him to worry, of course, but she’d been coming between him and his sister for too long. His long standing boyhood crush on her had really been a boost to her ego, and Mabel is the coolest chick she’s ever met; but she could just feel them wanting their own space. Even if they didn’t realize it yet. Once they’d gotten a taste of freedom the texts would stop rolling in.

 

Though, that thought brought up some very unwanted logic into play. Would she have to go back for whatever stuff of her’s she’d left there? Which would be pretty much all of it. She’d really planted her roots in their place. Her chest heaved with the low level panic that thought brought on. She pressed the pillow even harder to her face, breathing through the odd smelling fabric and rolled onto her side, trying to wrangle her nerves into line. Thoughts raced past her. Showing up and running into them at their place would suck. They’d probably be making out on a pile of her stuff no less.

 

They’d never do that, but maybe they’d have it packed up in boxes for her? Would they think to do that if she were gone long enough? Would that make it easier to dash in and out, carrying a huge chunk of her life away from an even bigger piece of it? Or would knowing that they really did want her out make it that much harder to cope with?

‘Whatever’.

 

Then she got steamrolled. Every tiny, at one time discarded doubt, every hard word her inner thoughts could throw at her. They probably just felt bad for her. She never really made anything of her life. ‘Same podunk town my whole life and no real chance of escaping it. Not like Pacifica, or Candy. Or Grenda for fuck’s sake. She’s legit royalty or something now’. “And what the hell is even wrong with me? I didn’t say shit about Thompson or Tambry? I don’t even think ‘Hey, Nate and Lee are doing well for themselves, you piece of shit. Doesn’t that make you feel bad?’ No! First thing I think of are the twins’ friends! I don’t even have my own identity anymore! All of **my** friends grow up and move away and then I tag along with theirs until they grow up and move on!”

 

It spiraled down until she couldn’t even remember what she hated herself for. She wonders if Tyler ever closed her door behind him on his way out. Maybe he did. Or maybe the whole house could hear her. It wouldn’t surprise her. Eventually her heartbeat pounded in her ears just a little less. She tried holding her breath, and after a few false starts since she still felt like she was hyperventilating, she was able to focus on listening. She couldn’t hear anybody nearby in the house. So either everyone heard her whining like a baby and freaked or…

 

The corner of the little pillow lifted away and a finger of light peeled in under it and jammed into her retina. When her eye did adjust it scanned around what it could see of the room. The door was shut, so at least there was that small dignity restored. Though she could see that a plate with a sandwich on it. There were chips too; and a glass of orange soda and ice. So great, apparently Tyler had come and gone while she was freaking out about the world basically coming to an end for her. And she hadn’t even noticed him. Though now that she looked again he’d brought her a second glass with some ice in it and he’d left the two liter. There was actually a whole second sandwich for her.

 

“Thanks, man.” The end of the world seemed at least held at bay temporarily. She could try to calm down, and get the sad out. A few more pretty serious waves of emotion would crash over her that night, but at least she could wait it out with some food in her stomach. And for when that refused to stay down, there was soda left to at least cool her throat.

 

There were unread texts on her phone, so naturally she buried it under her pillow.

“Nope. Not dealing with that. But that being said, those pigs are gonna have to fling birds at themselves….shit. Now I’m sad **and** bored. Let’s hope my old tv still has cable.” Somehow the Gravity Falls local cable channels had barely changed since she’d moved away. There was a ‘scary’ movie marathon including such treasures as ‘Night of the Living Retirees’, ‘The Creature from the Mauve Lagoon’ and ‘I was a Teenage Mummy From Outer Space!’ on one channel. Their version of the science fiction channel was hosting back to back playing of a series of movies clearly trying to capture the magic of some more famous films. ‘Prawnado’ was the first one. A film about the apparently apocalyptic scenario wherein a tornado picks up a bunch of crawfish from what’s clearly the river leading into Gravity Falls Lake. ‘Crawmageddon’ was the sequel. Though they kept slipping up and calling it ‘Clawmageddon’ too. So maybe they didn’t agree on a title. The third one went way off the rails. ‘Wereshark: The Red tide’ was apparently about getting bitten by something in the lake and the victims found their blood infested with millions of tiny wereshark blood cells? It was incomprehensible, but she wasn’t about to let it go un-watched.

 

“Oh man. There’s got to be someone just forking out handfuls of money to get these sad, weird movies made. This would make a great investigation. I bet it’s like, some old vampire guy with lots of cash and he’s like, forcing dudes to make movies for his eternal amusement, only he has terrible taste.” The temporary excitement with her theory was almost immediately overshadowed by remembering that she was alone. Even if the wild assumption was correct, Dipper and Mabel weren’t going to drop whatever they were doing, grab an old camera and bandoleers of holy water to find out. Though, the impending depression bullet train would have to wait to run her over just a little longer. The other feeling stirring when she took her attention away from the screen was the 2 liter of orange soda that she’d polished off; and her bladder was feeling less patient.

 

She threw her blankets and pillows out of the way and retrieved her discarded phone, just in case. No one wants to be without a cellphone in the bathroom. The hinges of her door sighed open, like they’d been greased recently. She peeked out ever so cautiously too. She did feel like she was in a bit of a rush, but she was trying to avoid talking to people while she sorted out her feelings. Besides, why ruin a good stealth run that the door hinge gnomes gave her. Thinking about door hinge gnomes for a second, then filing the thought away as something for Dipper to look into; only immediately to stomp down on the whole stack of thoughts and bend her mind to the task at hand. Or foot, as it were, as she stepped on the back of one heel to slide her foot out of her boot before doing the same with the other.

 

Before taking on her mission, she mentally inspected herself. Tank top and PJ pants was sufficiently dressed enough for her. She didn’t smell like weed either, so she was good to go.Her feet slid along by memory alone. All the times she’d had to sneak out of her room in her teen years built up to give her the quietest path available. Her brothers’ doors were all at least cracked open so trying to sneak down that way was out.

 

As she crept from her open door, gently shutting it behind herself, to the corner between the hall her room was down, and the living room, another memory rolled across her mind. She’d always been tremendously proud of her house. It might’ve looked like a stack of logs, but her dad built it himself. The floors looked like bare wood from a distance, but they were as smooth as a bowling rink. The best part was that there weren’t even any creaky boards between her and the bathroom down the hall.

 

The goal was in sight. She’d shimmied her way across the back of the long 5 seater sofa and paused behind a support beam. The last few feet she wouldn’t have anything to hide behind, but the door opened in, so it’d be an easy straight shot. If she hadn’t forgotten to silence her phone she would have made it too. The cutesy little anime music ringtone Mabel insisted on installing on Wendy’s phone blared out of her right back pocket.

 

“Shit.”

“Sweetie, is that you?”

“Fuck! I mean, Yeah, dad. H-hey.”

“Hey, sweetheart. Why don’tcha-“ Dan sighed and fiddled with a Polaroid that appeared utterly miniscule in his enormous hands. “why don’tcha come and sit next to daddy?” He sniffled and patted the couch next to him.

“Well, I was gonna- Yeah, okay, I’ll hold it.”Clenching her jaw, Wendy waddled over to the sofa –and found herself immediately pressed into her father’s chest, a tremendous hand clutching her by the shoulder.

“ **Oh, Darlin’!** My darling little baby girl!”

“Oh jeeze, Dad! Not so tight! Not so tight! Oh, god. We coulda both regretted that real quick…So, uh...How’s it goin’, pops? You just, sittin’ here…in the dark…lookin’ at-“

“Just lookin’ at old pichers! Pichers o’ you and the boys. I love you kids so much!” Another crushing bear hug entrapped Wendy, though she was prepared enough to avoid the consequences.

“Oh, god! You gotta watch that! What’re you doin’ here!?”

“ **You remember that time you climbed that tree**!?”

“Uh, might have to be a little more specific there-“

“You climbed up all in the tree and got yer hair stuck in all that pinesap?”

“Oh. That one. Yeah, another one of my humiliations. Yeah, let’s talk about that right n-“

“ **I remember**! My hands…” He flexed his giant fingers in front of him. “My hands were just that far from ya.” Dan held his thumb and forefinger apart for Wendy to see. “I couldn’t reach ya. You were just stuck up in that tree and I couldn’t- I just couldn’t getcha.”

While her father misted over old memories, Wendy recalled the incident. Some boy had tried to tease her about being a girl or whatever. So of course, to prove herself and her gender she challenged him to a tree climbing contest. She scurried up a tall pine tree like a squirrel. Even after the dumb kid fell off of his tree after about four seconds she kept climbing. She’d definitely proved herself. She made it about halfway up when the kid bugged out, crying about splinters and his mommy. So yeah, her hair got blown into the sap  and stuck. Her dad got called and he tried getting her down and started freaking when he couldn’t reach. It was just as well. When he started panicking he leapt up and tried grabbing her foot so he could yank her off the tree.

 

Finally she had to cut her own hair off and climb down herself. Though as a show of solidarity, her brothers agreed to shave their heads as well. When it came his turn Dan shaved a line down the center of his scalp and plopped his lumberjack hat down on her head, giving her a great big gap toothed grin. Though it was a little weird when Mikey, her youngest brother, lit the pile of hair on fire, turned to her, and said “Just in case anyone tries to use it against us.” He’d always sorta been a weird kid, but that’s what she liked best about him. She wore that hat every single day, even when her hair grew back and she didn’t need it anymore. The only reason her hair had managed to get as long as it did when she first met the twins was that she hadn’t cut it ever since she’d first gotten the hat.

 

Wendy wrapped her arms around her father’s tree trunk arm and squeezed.

“Hey, you didn’t raise me to need anyone else’s help. But you and the boys were there for me anyway. I couldn’t ask for any more than that, right?”

“Yeah…yeah, honey.” He kissed the top of her head and leaned into the hug. Yeah, we’re always here for you, honey… **Hey**! Uh, wh-what about that time your little friend, what’s her name? Tambourine? When Tambourine tried to blame you fer buyin’ that rubber dingaling!?”

“Oh my freakin’ God, dad, why would you bring that up!?”

“Yeah! You remember! You put that mess inn’er hair and you was runnin’ around all over town together!”

“Dad, really I-“

“Oh! You were so cute! You were so proud to have your first girlfriend. Exchanging little bracelets and all that cutesy-wootsey stuff.”

“Oh, god, do we really have to-?”

 

“ **But then**!-“ Dan grabbed up a handful of nuts from a wooden bowl on the coffee table and crunched the bunch in a single hand, tossing the remains in his mouth, crunching between words. “Then! She stole her daddy’s credit card ‘n ordered that thing off them interwebs. **She tried to pin it on my darlin’ baby girl**!?” He bellowed a primal scream, slamming his fist down on the table. “No sir! And I knew it. Showed him. But me and the boys, we knew better.”

“Jeeze, Dad-“ Wendy groaned “do you have some kind of reason for bringing up some of the most embarrassing episodes of my life, like, in a row?” Dan looked down and fiddled his fingers. Sweat prickled his brow as he tried thinking it over.

“Well, y’see, uh, some people like pancakes…”

“Oo…kay..”

“Other folk likes waffles. I likes both. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.”

“Both are fine breakfast choices.”

 

"Some folks say crepes is weird. **And maybe they are**! But that's okay. That’s okay. You get one with some o' that strawberry topping, maybe fill it up with that cheese stuff and they're really nice kids. CREPES ARE OKAY WENDY! DADDY LOVES YOU!" The sheer confusion brought on by the subject matter  left Wendy unprepared for the bear hug her father embraced her in.

 

Wendy flailed and struggled to work her way out from underneath Dan’s arm. When her head finally popped free her hair was mussed and her face red from effort.

“Oh my god. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I’ve got to go, so you just stay here and I’ll…yeah. Okay, good talk, dad.” She patted him on the shoulder and shot off to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Finally glad to have some release from the sudden onslaught of blubbering and storytelling from her dad. She’d barely even gotten her phone out when there was a knock on the door.

 

“Uh, we’re at capacity in here, dad! Leave a message at the sound of the beep!” Though, the voice that responded on the other side was Tyler’s instead of her father’s.

“Wendy, you got some company come callin’ for ya.”

“What? Who is –What time even is it?” checking her phone revealed that it was just past ten at night.

“I just told ‘em to wait for ya in your room, okay in there?”

“Yes, thank you. Though could everyone just kinda stop creepin’ around outside the bathroom?” No response came. “Okay, well I guess no answer is a good answer? Jeeze, I feel like I got a timer runnin’ on me now.”

 

Satisfied for the moment, Wendy’s mind turned back to who would be visiting her and why they’d show up after ten at night unannounced.

“Or…wait. Fuck.” She realized in a single moment exactly what had happened, and who was probably waiting for her. Of course she’d hidden from her phone, but that kinda becomes a problem when some of those texts and phone calls are from a person who really wants to talk to you. It becomes even more of an issue when that person is a ‘people person’ and not afraid to just show up. And who does she know like that? There was definitely a Mabel lurking in her bedroom right now, waiting for her to walk in. A low level panic set in, invading Wendy’s senses. The cold tiles just under her feet suddenly seemed much farther away. The scented oil diffuser sitting on the shelf just above toilet basin broke up into some unidentifiable mélange of flowery, chemically scents. But she was used to coasting on the surface of panic. Her body finished her task for her, hands washed and door opened.

 

It walked her down the darkened hallway and approached her door way, which was left cracked open. Even as her heartbeat picked up and her chest tightened, Wendy’s hand pushed in the bedroom door in front of her and her feet carried her forward. Right in front of her, a mile away, Mabel sat on her bed. Hands waved, the door clicked shut behind her. She could feel the corners of her mouth turn up and the right kind of words seemed to be coming out since Mabel was smiling at her. Then her hand was on Wendy’s knee, her thumb rubbing gentle circles.

 

The sensation would have normally been comforting, but then their lips were touching. Then she was on her back and Mabel’s fingers were intertwined with her own. Someone’s hands were a little sweaty. She couldn’t tell if it was her or Mabel, but her hands were always just a little bit cooler to the touch. The sensation of her neck being nibbled on was something she felt she could lose herself in. Those cold little fingers snaked their way up her shirt and the little tingles and electric sparks shot all over. Lips, teeth and tongue rolled her areola around and the sparks shot just a little brighter and hotter.

 

It’s not so much that she surrendered control over to Mabel, as much as she couldn’t hope to ask for it back. The waistband of her pajama pants rolled down past her hips and the sparks turned into rockets. Her hip bones were one of her secret spots, and Mabel knew exactly how to use them against her. Fingernails over the tingly button and her legs turned to jelly. Mabel was seriously playing to win, and probably had a whole handful of aces up her sleeves too. Her thighs were Mabel’s playground and physically everything felt right. More than right, it felt like two thirds of the way towards perfect.

 

More than once she’d grilled the younger girl on if she’d really only fooled around with girls before she got together with her and her brother. Mabel knew how to read her like a book. Her underwear was practically soaked through since Mabel had left them on.. A little bit of buildup always drove her wild. It must have been how easily she blushed when she was turned on. With enough skin exposed she would have been flushed all over, like a flashing neon ‘please fuck me’ sign.

 

She clutched at the sheets when Mabel rolled out another one of her favorites, nibbling and lapping at her through her panties, which just happened to be the red flannel ones that Mabel got for her. Though that’d been just a coincidence, she told herself. So what if wearing them made her feel sexy and desired? Who didn’t want to feel that way? It didn’t matter that she always thought about the way Mabel looked at her the first time she’d put them on, biting the tip of her finger and staring. It also didn’t matter that the shirt she happened to borrow from Dipper when she came back home...when she moved out...it didn’t matter that she’d been using it like a safety blanket. She just liked the way it smelled.

 

She and Mabel had gone shopping when they found the ‘lumber-panties’ and Mabel insisted they go to the changing room. Even if she hadn’t liked them, what they did in that changing room would have made her feel guilty if she didn’t pay for them. A throaty, passionate moan escaped her lips, interrupting her thoughts, her attentive lover was nibbling her way up Wendy’s body, making stops along the way. Mabel kissed her way up from her nethers to the exposed skin just below her belly button. She tickled with little pecks and nibbles along her ribs as she was grasped firmly by the hips, melting her will down into nothing.

 

Though her eyes were closed, head thrown back, enraptured by the sensations on her skin, she could feel Mabel changing positions to straddle her, rubbing herself on Wendy’s leg. Then a hand snaked its way under her shirt to cup her left breast as a tongue swirled around the other, tingling and cool. She gasped when Mabel took the raised bud between her teeth, with just enough force to make her reflexively arch her back and rub her thighs together. The collar of her tank top was pulled loose down around her shoulder as a head of chestnut brown hair came into view.

 

Mabel nibbled all along her clavicle and up her neck as slender, chilly fingers slid into her panties. Wendy leaned her head to the side to give her lover full access to her throat and her knees spread as Mabel’s middle finger entered her. She struggled just a bit with the pants that were still pooled around her ankles, trying to free one foot or the other. She didn’t want to distract Mabel from what she was doing and break the spell. Just as she managed to free herself she was moaning. The anticipation had made every sensation blinding and intense. She was biting down on a finger to keep herself from screaming her satisfaction out into the rest of the house.

 

She shuddered and squirmed as Mabel’s slender, agile fingers played with her labia, lovingly caressing the folds of her lips. Wendy felt a pressure on her jaw, pulling her to face Mabel as a pair of slick fingers were placed against her bottom lip. Eagerly doing as her lover bade, she tasted herself on Mabel’s touch, suckling her fingers as though she could fellate them. Mabel gazed longingly into her eyes as she did, and when she was satisfied, the fingers were replaced with Mabel’s own soft, sweet, cherry flavored lips.

 

Once, Mabel had suggested that Wendy tasted better than Maple Syrup, but the following suggestion involving pancakes came out funnier than it was sexy, but she’d be lying if part of herself didn’t feel just a little sexier because of it. Then all at once her breathing finally couldn’t keep up with the pounding in her chest and the new sensations from the hand that found its way back under her waistband. As she panted for air, small, soft moans escaped again as she got closer and closer and closer to release. Her lover pressed their lips together once more and she met Mabel’s tongue with her own.

  
Muffled by the embrace, she shut her eyes and grasped at Mabel’s form, holding onto anything she could. Were it not for Mabel’s sweater she’d be clawing lines into her back. Mabel must have been nearly as close, the fingers that rubbed at her clit were near frantic, and her body was shaking as she ground herself into Wendy’s thigh. Her own fever pitch ecstasy met Mabel’s lusty cries, as wave after wave shot through her. The nimble little fingers plunged inside of her one last time as the sensation of being filled up drove her over the Grand Canyon in a convertible.

 

After the white hot sparks in her belly cooled down, she realized that Mabel was bringing herself to a finish as well, sliding herself along over Wendy’s leg. Soon, shuddering and twitching, she fell into her arms, kissing her all over. They lay there, Mabel holding her in a tight embrace, rubbing her cheek on Wendy’s hair; and she felt like she could lose herself in the peaceful afterglow. It was just so nice, the two of them, occasionally holding hands, laying in calm serenity.

 

Reflecting back, she tried recalling just what it was that’d led up to that moment. When she found Mabel sitting on her bed they made some uncomfortable small talk, really. Nate and Lee had made a ‘documentary’ years ago on Toby Determined. They followed him around like they were shooting some nature show, narrating about the things he did like they were hiding in some bushes. Which they were. The second best part was that it was really just an elaborate scheme to be able to ‘study the subject without direct contact’ which meant jumping out from around a corner wearing monster masks to film him screeching in terror. Of course after the events of The Weirdmageddon, Toby was a whole different animal. He actually bit Nate before they managed to get away. Though naturally the two of them just hired Thompson to be their work for them. He never saw the ol’ reverse double prank coming. Mabel had apparently been watching Gravity Falls tv at some point as well, cuz it definitely didn’t air anywhere else.

 

It was hard to pin down exactly when Mabel would have gotten the chance to sit down and watch it since she didn’t live in town anymore. Could be she’d just happened to remember watching it at some point and the memory was triggered by something else. After that it was pretty much all lips and fingers from there. Mabel could be spontaneous like that. It was actually a pretty nice balance between her and Dipper. He’d never do anything without thinking about it for a day and a half and seven charts of pros and cons. The guy even bought some pie chart software for his phone so he’d always have visual aids on him.

 

“Do you think you’re ready to come home?”

‘Shit!’ she thought. The question came out of nowhere, but she definitely wasn’t paying attention.

“Wh-whaddaya mean, homegirl? I am ..well, y’know.”

“No, I mean with me and Dipdop.”

“Did…did you just think that you could come in and blow me away with sex and that’d be it?”  
“I- no. I mean, I hoped, but- Please, Wendy, we miss you. And, and I –did, what did we- I’m sorry, I –“

“Mabel, please. I need to be alone.” ‘Shit! No I don’t!’ Wendy screamed at herself internally. ‘This is what I wanted! I didn’t want to talk about my problems, I just want to pretend like they’re gone and have the two sweetest, most wonderful people in the world come here, tell me they love me and sweep me off my feet. What the fuck is wrong with me!?’

 

“I’m sorry…” When Mabel’s hand fell to Wendy’s shoulder, she jumped in surprise, startling Mabel as much as Wendy’s initial reaction had.

“Please” Wendy stifled a tear. “Please, just go” She buried her face into her knees, and Mabel’s weight lifted off of Wendy’s bed moments after. ‘No! Come back!’ her inner voice screamed, even as her door clicked open, and a few breaths later clicked shut again. Straining against the silence, she focused as much of her will as she could on listening for the front door and the sound of Mabel’s ignition turning over. Minutes passed without anything until she decided she couldn’t hear anything over her own sobs. ‘What is wrong with me?’ She cursed, again and again until the words finally slipped from her mouth.

 

“God Damn it!” a heavy boot crashed into the wall and Wendy buried her face into a pillow to scream again. Clutching the cushion to her face, Wendy cursed and shouted, mostly at herself before a lack of breath forced her to sit, breathing heavily on the edge of her mattress.

“What is wrong with me? Why do I keep fucking things up!?”

“Knock-knock, Wendy-Darlin’ are-are you okay?” Tyler asked meekly as he pushed her door in.

“Yeah.” Wendy’s wall was already coming up, even if she did have to take a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry for making so much noise.” Tyler looked from side to side, as though he were searching for some kind of guidance before speaking. He nearly even backed out of the room again altogether, but mustering up the courage to deal with his step-daughter, he closed the door with him still inside the room and sat next to her.

“Look, I …I know you’re not alright. I mean…”  
“Yeah, well-“ She sniffed and wiped an arm across her face, trying to regain composure. “It’s fine.”

 

“Wendy, darlin’ yer daddy ‘n I have been real worried about-“  
“Hey, could you please not call me that?”

“I- huh?”

“The whole ‘Wendy Darlin’ thing. Just, it makes me uncomfortable. It’s what my mom used to call me.”  
“Oh, ‘m sorry.”  
“Yeah, it’s a whole Peter Pan thing. Sorry, I don’t mean to be like, I dunno, just it’s been bothering me.”

“Oh wow, that was their last name, wasn’t it? Oh and your brothers, oh my gawd. Okay, well we’ll git to that later. I assure you. But still, hun, Yer Daddy ‘n I are worried. Before Mabel came on in, yer dad said he had a talk with you about stuff.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what that was about.”

“Well, we’ve been talkin’ and he said he remembered when you were a little girl and got your hair stuck in a tree.”  
“I think I recall the event.”

“Well, he told me that story really captures how he feels; all helpless to save his little girl.”  
“Awww, Dad.” The realization of what he was trying to convey put some pause to her feelings for a moment.

 

“I can see him thinking that. I wish I could help myself.”  
“Did he tell you about the one with -?”  
“Yes.”

“Are you sure? The one where-“  
“Yes, Yes he told me, though I’d rather not re-live that one.”  
“Oh, yeah, the one with the rubber thingy.”  
“Oh God, Tyler.”

“Well, he said that one was about sticking by people that stick by you. And also telling them about your problems. That if you have a good relationship, then you shouldn’t be afraid to talk about things.”  
“That seems like a stretch to me.”  
“Wendy. Come on now. You know he’s not so great with words.”

“I know, I know. Sorry. I’ve just never had a hard time understanding what he meant before.”  
“You think maybe part of you did understand but you couldn’t accept the help?”  
“Well, I dunno about that, but the embarrassment of my ex-girlfriend, who refused to acknowledge that we were dating, ordering a dildo online and telling her dad I did it? That’s not helping.”

“I know, dear. I’m sorry for that. But he wants to help. And I do too. We can see you’re hurting and Tambry’s a bitch, by the way. But I know you have a hard time talking about your feelings, just like yer daddy. But You’d want to help him if he needed it, so you’re worth being helped too.”

“Ooh, Dang Tyler. Tells us how you really feel. But thanks. I guess, it’s just really hard to bring up this kind of stuff normally, but given how weird my situation is, that just sorta adds to it.”

 

“Well, that’s what that whole mess with the pancakes was s’posed to be about. Even if your relationship is non-traditional, hell, lookit us. And have you seen Jeff’s blog? Gnomes get up to some weird stuff.”

“Okay, were you listening in on that or did he just rehearse this stuff with you?”  
“Little column A, little column B. But don’t change the subject, missy. We’re here to talk about you. That’s the whole point, you know. So let’s talk. You don’t have to tell me everything, but you’re a wonderful person and you deserve to be happy. So what’s going on?” Wendy sighed, straightened her back and gave him a wan smile.

“Long story short? I feel like a third wheel. I mean, what do I really bring to the table? The twins don’t need me around.”

 

Wendy never opened up completely to Tyler. The nature of her relationship with the twins was never stated flat out. Skipping around that minor fact made it easier for her to even speak about anything to begin with. She was able to sleep a little easier that night with some of the pressure on her laying out in the open.

“Dip. Tyler just texted me.”  
“What’d he say?” Dipper hopped over next to Mabel to peek at her phone over her shoulder, a note of almost what could have been hopeful excitement in his voice. Though it was capped with anxious dread.

“He says …she feels like a third wheel, Dip. She’s going to bed now, but he was able to talk after I left. Well, that’s something at least… But I wish she could tell us when something is bothering her. God, this sucks! I love her! She’s my bestest bestie! Her and my bro-bro!”

 

Dipper kisses his sister on the temple and rested her head against his chest, stroking her hair as he thought, contemplating how they might resolve Wendy’s feelings. The minutes ticked by as he searched after a couple hunches on his phone.

“Oh my god, Mabes. I have an idea. Take a look at this.”  
“Oh, holy shit. I love that. You sure she wouldn’t just, I dunno, kill us with an ax or something?”  
“Always a possibility, but at least we’d have transportation. I seriously think it could work. Plus there’s expedited shipping.”  
“It’ll take a little while longer to buy the new bed frame, but I’m in. When can it get here by?”  
“Two days. So I’ll order it now. That’ll give us time to get the choreography down.”  
“Oh my god, Dipper Pines, you just said choreography. I love you.”


	3. Framed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel and Dipper have a plan to get the love of their lives back in their life.

Days passed and the texts slowed down. Mabel’s messages dried up after her last visit, though Dipper still checked up on her a few times since then. But he wasn’t asking her to come back. Of course. His sister tried to extend that invitation to her but she freaked out on her. The girl was the dictionary definition of sweet, beautiful, and amazing, but Wendy Freakin’ Corduroy just doesn’t have it in her to admit when she was being a psycho. Okay, so she had an emotional…thing, or whatever. But she was over it. She was ready to go back…well…home.

 

She’d changed out of her work clothes as well as her fake work smile. She sat against the pile of brightly colored pillows in a wear worn pair of old sweat shorts from high school. Though, the elastic had worn out years ago, so she rolled down the waistband. They fit her more like underwear than like shorts, but they were comfy. One hand tucked into the waistband, the other loosely held her remote. The often terrible programming on Gravity Falls cable was always good for tuning the world out. That is, unless you’re suffering through the very same marathon of crap they’ve been airing for the past week. Maybe someone fell asleep at the programming desk or something. It was the same ten episodes of the 90’s cartoon reboot of the original 1960’s Ducktective, Sherlock Holmes in Space and Sherlock Holmes vs The Planet People of Planet Planet (one through three), and Agnes and Ladle’s mystery crew. The latter was some strange cartoon that felt eerily familiar.

 

Ladle and his twin sister Agnes ran around solving mysteries with the help of their friends Oso (a weird talking bear, or something) and Lizzie the Lumberjane. It gave her the jibblies. It was the same stuff, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Finally she couldn’t take watching the same episode for like the fifth time that week (since reruns ran at night too). Since the show took place during an outrageously long spring break they had the strange premise of a thanksgiving episode that took place in, like, March or whenever. She shut off the TV, threw the remote into the waiting arms of her big plush Pandaduck, snatched up a pack of cigs, and hopped down off her bed.

 

Her oldest bad habit saw her through more than one heart break, even if her family didn’t approve. Leaning her back against the front wall of her house, she flipped open the little box and reflected. The twins didn’t like her smoking either. Of course they never got too pushy about it; it was just her desire to not disappoint them that’d helped her kick the habit, until now that is. She only realized that she was staring at the cigarette instead of lighting it after a minute or so. She guiltily returned the single cig to the rest of its family in the pack. She could resist that particular vice as long as her other one still had any ammo.

 

Wendy plucked her jacket from the railing next to her and dug a deltoids tin out of the pocket and rattled it. She popped the lid and a pungent aroma filled her sinuses. The little metal box was designed to contain the peculiarly strong mint smell in which made it a perfect stash. She extracted a half smoked J from it, popped it between her lips and lit it up. After a few minutes she felt just a bit better. It never made her problems go away, but they did seem less important. Though she was gonna have to remember where she got this stuff, cuz it definitely sounded like her life suddenly had a sound track. Wendy tried clearing out her ear with a pinky but the music was just getting louder.

“Take a slide in to the hazard zone!” The song now blasted out louder than ever. It was then that she saw the boombox. An actual, old school 80’s style boom box being held up high by Dipper, who was wearing aviator shades, a bomber jacket over a white t-shirt and acid washed jeans. There he was just walking down the sidewalk, giant metal box held up high as the theme played through.

 

He set the antique down next to Wendy, but said nothing. She was still surprised enough that she didn’t think to ask any questions when he clicked the stop button just as another song ripped out across the distance. The twins had obviously put some thought into their plan. The hilly, shrub laden neighborhood Wendy’s family lived in had tons of blind corners and dips between the streets to hide in. Vonjon Bovi’s classic anthem ‘Dwellin’ on a Hope’ blared over the relative calm of the sleepy community from about the halfway point of the song.

 

“Holy shit” was all Wendy could manage when she spied Mabel rounding a corner on the biggest big wheel trike she’d ever seen in her life. It was just like one of those hard plastic, black, yellow, and red ones made for kids, only huge. The leather tassels on the handlebars matched Mabel’s leather jacket, which Wendy could swear was made one hundred percent out of fringe.  Her hair looked like a cloud of hair spray and teases curls, she was the very image of Vonjon Bovi himself, though her sunglasses matched Dipper’s. Despite the single incongruity, she could have pedaled straight out of a laser and fog filled music video.

 

Mabel managed a power slide as she wheels screeched to a halt on the sidewalk in front of Wendy’s dad’s house, stopping just in front of Dipper and Wendy. By the slight cringe in Dipper’s tone she figured Mabel must have practiced that moves a couple times before getting it right. Before either of the twins said a word she took notice of the color scheme of Mabel’s ride. There was a shooting star painted on the rim of the real wheel closest to her and she was pretty sure there was a pine tree on the other one. The entire front wheel was painted red except for the treads where the paint had been scraped off.

 

“Wendy” Dipper started. She jumped slightly because she’d almost forgotten about him after Mabel’s entrance. “I want to say that there is no third wheel in our relationship-“

“But then we found this awesome big wheel online!” Mabel interrupted. “So we figured it’d make a way better metaphor.” A grin stretched across her face as she applied a decal to the side of the wheel that looked like a bag of ice. “You keep us from spinning our pedals.”

“You guys…”

“We love you” Dipper blurted out before Wendy could say anything he’d regret. “Just as much as we love each other.” He twined his fingers with Mabel on one hand and reached out for her with the other. She accepted, feeling more than just a bit fluttery from the gesture.

“We need you in our lives. You’re our third gunsketeer, the B in our L T“ Mabel added. A flush rose in Wendy’s cheeks and neck.

“I…love you guys too.” She muttered meekly, unable to meet the gaze of her own reflection in their glasses.

 

She found her hand joining with Mabel too just then, perking her attention back up.

“Seriously, Wendy, we love you. We’d have proposed to your lanky ass if there was some way two freaky-deaky twins could both marry their best friend.”

“And we’re pretty sure you love us back” Dipper concluded, removing his sunglasses, tucking a leg into his shirt collar.

“Thus the big, romantic gesture, eh?” Wendy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You guys don’t really do subtle, huh? Just kinda puttin’ it all out there?”

“Pfft. Subtle. If I cared what people thought about who I love, I wouldn’ta been bangin’ my brother since we were teens.” Dipper, who normally would have been slapping a hand over his sister’s mouth, or cringing behind a bush, seemed strangely calm about her declaration. Though she could have sworn that she caught him cringe just a little.

“Wendy.” Dipper drew her eyes over to his own. “Sometimes the two of us can be a little dense. We’re so different, but obviously there’s the whole twin telepathy thing going on so-“  
“Hey!” She managed to crack a smile “You fuckers told me you didn’t have that.”

“Top secret stuff” Mabel replied with a serious look on her face. She even managed to hold it without cracking for about three seconds, which impressed Wendy. “For serial, though, we do sometimes forget that you haven’t been **with us** with us as long as it feels.”  
“-And maybe we forget to say things, like exactly how happy you make us” Dipper finished for her.

“So-”  
“Will you-“  
“Be our-”

“Third Wheel?” The twins asked at first one, then the other, and finally in unison.

 

“Jeeze, guys. How could I say no to that?” She pulled a hand back to wipe some tears away before attempting to crush the both of them in a hug. “I mean, what even was this?”  
“I wanted to go with fireworks too, but Dipper was all like ‘nooo Mabel, that would be too dangerous or whatever. Bluh bluh bluh, I’m Dipper, I wanna see boobie’” Mabel mocked. Dipper just rolled his eyes.

“It took hours just to whittle down the musical selection to two songs. I actually really liked Oho’s ‘I’ll be gone’ but Mabel said the high pitch would bother the local wildlife. But the imagery is pretty good, huh?”

“Alright, alright, don’t hurt something trying to pat yourself on the back, you dorks.” Wendy planted a peck on both of their foreheads, then their lips. “Really though, thanks for coming out here for me guys.” Dipper blushes and looked down at the sidewalk for a moment.

“Well, I mean, it seemed like you were feeling really down and we know you do that thing where you just bottle up all your stress. We’d be pretty crappy lovers if we didn’t reach out. “ Dipper reasoned.

“Well, thank you anyway. What’s the plan to do with this thing now that you got me?” Wendy motioned at the giant big wheel.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. We’ll repaint it and give it to Tyler to use as an official vehicle of office. Everyone knows that small town mayors have to be super quirky. Besides, him and your dad really helped u-“ Mabel’s mouth was covered by Dipper’s hand before she could finish. Though of course she immediately licked his hand and he retracted it.

 

“So they knew about this whole plan of yours?” Wendy smirked. “I shoulda known. So does that mean they know _everything_ everything?”

“Well, I mean, not like our favorite positions, or the strap-ons or anything, but yeah, pretty much.”

“Oh, jeeze, Mabel.”  Dipper blushed. “B-but yeah, they know about the three of us. I mean, we couldn’t exactly keep that a secret from your family forever.” To Dipper’s great surprise Wendy just burst with laugher, with an arm around her stomach when it started hurting.

“Oh man. That explains so freakin’ much. How long do you think they’ve known?” She wiped her eyes.

“Well-“ Dipper started, pausing for a moment to arrange his thoughts. “-They called us the night you moved back over here. Tyler didn’t outright say it, but he definitely knew; but way before that, like months ago, your brother Mikey came to my work and just sorta hung out for a while. Then he came up to me and gave me a cool looking rock and he left. Looking back on it, I feel that must have meant something.”

“Also, not to be too on the nose or anything, but I just got a text from Tyler. He wanted to know if the three of us are back together. He says he thinks you look happy, Wendy.” Mabel awaited a response so she could text Wendy’s step-dad back.

“You know what? I am. Just seeing you guys makes me all warm and junk. And if you really want me back, I think I’m ready to come home?”

The twins looked to each other for a moment then bowled her over onto the front lawn with an embrace, kissing her all along both sides of her face and neck. Though they were cut off by a faint call from somewhere inside of the house that sounded like “Git ‘er! Git ‘er!”

 

When the three of them were done giggling, and managed to compose themselves Dipper stood up and kissed both of his girls on the tops of their heads.

“I really hate to go, but I have to get to work in like a half hour.”  
“Shit, really? You didn’t get the day off?” Wendy asked.

“I tried, but I could only get the morning off. But Mabel has the rest of the day off, plus I’ll bring home dinner when I get off.”

“You’d better, you dork.” Wendy delivered a gentle punch to the arm. “Do me one favor though.”

“hmm?”  
“Make sure you’re wearing that outfit when you come home.” She bit her lip, looking him up and down, which resulted in a full blush from Dipper before he turned and ran down the street to avoid further embarrassment. “Yeah! You shake that ass, Pines!” Mabel and Wendy collapsed into laughter when they heard a faint “Git it!” from the house.

 

It didn’t take long to pack Wendy’s things back into her van. She honestly hadn’t brought that much with her when she left. Tyler packed lunch for the girls and they were on their way. It’s like nothing had changed at all. When they walked into the apartment however, it struck her. The twins had spent money on buying that ridiculous tricycle, but that must’ve kept them from replacing that broken bed. A quick check of her bedroom confirmed it. There was a mattress on the floor and an idea struck her.

“Hey! Sparklebutt!”  
“Mmmmmyees?”

“If big dumb romantic gestures are the name of the game, I have an idea, but we only have like six hours and I can only surprise one of you with it, so I need your help. You up for it?”   
“Yes ma’am!” Mabel saluted.

“Cool. Step one, we need to empty out my van. I’m gonna give my dad a call to get some supplies. Gideon still runs a bunch of shops in town, right?”

“Uhh, as far as I know?”  
“Including that discount mattress store that looks like a giant red bard in the middle of a strip mall?”  
“I haven’t kept tabs, but I think I’m pickin’ up what you’re puttin’ down.”  
“Good. I dunno if I can afford one all on my own so I might need some help, but it’ll be worth it.”

 

“Yello **? Wendy! How’re you doin’? Did that thing them two kids were doin’ work out?** ”  
“Hah. So you knew about it too, dad?”

“ **Mmm.** ” Dan grunted in response.

“Well, thank you. As a matter of fact it worked out perfectly. And I had an idea for how I could repay the gesture. Do you think you could load up a bunch of wood and bring it over to the twins’ and my place in like an hour?”  
“ **You buildin’ sumthin’**?”  
“Yup. It’s gonna be a surprise. Long story short they shop at that Danish discount furniture store and now they know better.”  
“ **Particle board ain’t real wood!** ” Dan howled into the air, much to the dismay of the rest of the grocery store he was in when Wendy had called.

“Totally. So, if you’ve got something nice, maybe oak or hickory or cherry? I want to make a, uh, y’know, a replacement. So I’m gonna need it to be nice and sturdy, cuz, I mean, it wouldn’t be a great gift otherwise.”  
“ **Broke the bed, gonna make a new one. Got it. I’ll bring over ma tools and whatnot**.”

“Y-yeah, thanks, dad.”

“ **M’little girl’s makin’ furniture! I’m so proud. I’m so proud!** ” The call disconnected after that. Either Dan had chosen a particularly dramatic moment to hang up, or he’d accidentally crushed another phone. Just as well if he had, Wendy didn’t feel like having the rest of the conversation about why they needed a new bed anyway; and buying her dad a new burner phone in exchange for his help would be a nice way to pay him back.

 

Mabel meanwhile was dropping Gideon a Bookspace message to let him know that she and Wendy were planning on stopping by his place of business. He responded less than ten seconds after she’d sent the message, saying that he’d be there. So naturally they took just a little too long to really doll themselves up and get ready for it. Making him wait to see them just that much longer would be the key to their success. When they did finally saunter through the double doors to the Bed Barn he was pacing back and forth in the back of the store, wearing for all intents and purposes, a giant version of the periwinkle blue suit he’d run around in so much in his youth. Neither Mabel nor Wendy had actually seen him in quite some time, but he was apparently doing fairly well for himself. He looked the spitting image of his father Bud, right down to the overbite. Though his fashion sense was somewhat more ‘gentile’ and he retained the shockingly white and shockingly tall pompadour.

 

“Well How do! My, my, my, my, my, as I live and breathe. Mabel Pines and Wendy Corduroy. What a surprise it is to see you two here in my humble little ol’ store. What brings you fine ladies into my establishment?” Mabel rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Oh come on, Gids, you knew we were comin’. And as a matter of fact, my uh, lady friend and I, were in the market for a new bed.” They each wrapped an arm around each other and bumped their hips together. “We sorta broke the old one.”

“Oh, oh my.” Gideon extracted a hanky from his pocket to mop his brow before returning it to his pocket. “Well, what size were you ladies looking for?”

“King sized.” Wendy purred, bending down ostensibly to look him in the eye a little closer, but of course her low cut top was doing plenty of talking for her.

“I-I s-see. Yes, well, right this way.”

 

He brought them over to the show room floor dedicated to the king size mattresses and they made a big show of bending and leaning over to examine the beds. When they found one they liked they both laid on it to try it out, cuddling up with each other. Wendy played the big spoon just then, nibbling on her lover’s ear while she whispered.

“So, how do you think it’s going?”

“He’s just about to crack.” Mabel whisper-giggled back. Wendy sat up and adjusted her shirt, crossing one leg over the other and looked Gideon right in the eye, though it took him a moment to realize that and meet her gaze.

“Uh, hah, s-so y’all like the bed?”

“Mmhmm. We do. It’s really comfy. All soft and supportive at the same time.”

“Oh yeah, it is that.”  
“Only, I dunno if we can afford it. It really is the nicest bed we’ve seen, but I suppose we’ll have to just do without. Come on Mabel, dear.”

 

Gideon shot upright and held his hands up to keep them from leaving.

“Now now, I’m sure we can work something out. I wouldn’t want you to walk away unsatisfied or nothin’. We have a lovely in home financing package?” Mabel sat up, brushed off her skirt and joined pinkies with Wendy to turn and leave. “O-Or we-I’m- I’m sure I could offer y’alls a lil’ ol’ discount, on the house, you know?” The couple stopped and set their hips to the side, Wendy quirked a brow up at him. “Uh Ten Per-Twe-Th-thirty percent is what I meant. Y’all can have it delivered same day even.”  The set of Wendy’s eyebrow told him that wasn’t good enough.   
“Well, I can’t just give it away now. You wouldn’t lil’ ol’ me to end up on the street due to my generous nature? Forty?” Wendy and Mabel appeared to consider forty percent for a moment, and of course it was about what they were hoping for, but the sweat on Gideon’s brow told Mabel that there was still some profit left in it for him. She took hold of Wendy and shoved her against a nearby support beam and let her libido guide her hands. She nibbled on Wendy’s elegant neck and squeezed her butt, pressing their bodies closer together. Wendy reciprocated by squeezing her breast, eliciting a moan from her.

 

“Alright! Alright. I’ll give Y’all half off. Just knock it off before ya gimme another heart attack. Also….”  
“Yeeeaaas?” Mabel asked. Wendy whispered into Mabel’s ear when Gideon’s answer wasn’t immediately forthcoming. They simultaneously raised their shirts and held them up for a five count. When they came back down it looked as though he really might have a heart attack, though it didn’t seem to be bothering him too much.

“So, uh, w-will that be cash or charge, ladies?”

 

With the mattress loaded into the back of Wendy’s van the girls took the opportunity to change into more carpentry friendly clothes before getting back to their place. Mabel changed while Wendy drove, slipping on a pair of denim overalls with sequins and stickers all over them. Wendy took the opportunity at a red light to slip the gear into park, unzip her skirt and shove her legs into some jeans and a button up plaid shirt over her bra. By the time they showed up Dan was already in the front yard with some saw horses, a work table and various other tools strewn about. The grass was already covered in saw dust from the belt sander he’d plugged in to smooth out the lumber. His over-sized pickup truck was packed to the brim with what looked like it could have been half of the good hard wood in his shed.

 

“Hey dad! Thanks for coming!” Wendy called out from her lowered window as she parked in the space next to his. “You think you can help us get this thing inside?” Dan smiled a gap toothed grin and his eyes seemed to unfocus. He was in his element when he got to put his strength to good use.  Mabel found herself feeling a bit surprised at how professional and put together Wendy’s dad looked when he was all kitted up with his gloves, goggles, tool belt and respirator. And judging by the set up he definitely knew what he was doing.

 

Once the box was unloaded in the living room Dan whipped out a trusty old tape measure and eyeballed a few measurements. Though Mabel felt a bit concerned when he didn’t write anything down, Wendy placed a reassuring hand on her arm and winked. Before they knew it, the old bed parts that’d been piled in a corner were thrown cathartically out the window and Wendy’s old bed frame and mattress returned to her room. Dan was a blur of activity when he really laid into the wood. The lumber was cut and sanded smooth in moments. He drilled and screwed the various pieces together before Mabel could even figure out how they were supposed to fit. It was her job to run new pieces in to Wendy who was in the bedroom finishing all the attachments. With an hour and a half left before Dipper even got out of work the bed was finished and the mattress was sitting snugly in place.

 

“Oh my god, Dan, you’re like magic!”

“ **Thank yuh, Bagel. I like workin’ with mah hands. You treat mah little girl right, so that makes you family. You gimme a call if yuh need anything else, got it?”** Mabel nodded, holding back the waterworks while she did her best to wrap her arms around the giant man. He patted her back and turned to Wendy. “ **Hey darlin’, daddy’s all done here. Gonna leave you to it. I’m real glad you, uh, you gotcher life all smooth an’ nice. You do what makes you happy, cuz that makes daddy happy. I loves yas.”** He carefully hugged his daughter as tightly as he could without breaking her, then kissed her forehead and lumbered out of their house to gather up his tools. She tried to hide the emotion in her expression from Mabel until she remembered what that lead to. Wendy turned back so she could be up front with how happy her father accepting her relationship with the twins made her, but having a Pines collide into a person, wrapping arms and legs around them, tends to shift the priorities.

 

When Dipper pulled his car into his space he couldn’t help but notice that the lawn, sidewalk, and parking spaces were absolutely covered in sawdust.

“Well, if they **weren’t** up to something after being alone all day I’d be surprised.” He gathered up the brown paper bag filled to the brim with Chinese, the plastic bag filled with Mexican in one arm, and the pizza box in the other. Lo mein taco pizza was a favorite in their house, and he decided the occasion was worth celebrating. After negotiating his way to the door he slipped off his shoes so as not to track anything inside, and left them just inside the door way along with a mismatched pair of Purple and Pink galoshes and to his relief, a muddy old pair of leather boots. He knew that Wendy hadn’t left again since her van was still out front, but seeing that she’d slipped right back into the way they lived still felt uplifting.

 

“Mabel! Wendy! I brought Diiinnneeeerr!” He called up the stairs as he set the various constituents of the meal in the kitchen. No response came after a few seconds, so he decided to go upstairs to let them know he’d brought food as promised. The door to the master bedroom opened before he could turn the knob himself and Wendy and Mabel burst out to greet him.

“Yay! Dipper’s home!” Mabel cheered. “After dinner we can start round five, but don’t tire him out too much, cuz I wanna squeeze in a six and seven.”  
“Seven?” Dipper croaked.

“Hey, we gotta fill up that SD card somehow.” Wendy jerked a thumb to their camera set up on its tripod just inside the bedroom. “Plus, we gotta test this thing out to make sure it doesn’t break. No promises about not breaking you though, cuz I’m still pent up.”  
“Seven?”

“Mmhmm, what’dja bring? I’m starving.” She asked as her and Mabel practically skipped down the stairs. “Oh! And surprise! New bed! You’re gonna love it!”

“Seven?” It wasn’t so much the leather chaps and vest that Mabel was wearing. It wasn’t even the 70’s biker hat, mustache and strap on that she had on. Wendy’s pencil skirt, cardigan and horn rimmed glasses didn’t even phase him. Nor did her hair all tied up neat in a bun with a pair of chop sticks holding it all together. The brand new bed was awesome, and the camera was an awesome idea. Hell, he had five more rounds to catch up on in his free time, apparently. But the hockey mask and rainbow afro wig they’d set out for him clearly begged some questions to answer.

 

He shrugged.

“Oh well, my family’s whole again. Don’t question it. Hey, wait up!” He called as he raced downstairs to join them. There was no way he was going to let Mabel hog all the duck sauce again.


End file.
